This invention relates to dining plates and trays, specifically to an apparatus having multiple-level eating surfaces that are intended for use by an individual for the convenient transport and eating of a variety of foods. The various embodiments are configured to retain at least some of the food it supports within separate eating surfaces or compartments, some elevated relative to the others, and to provide an advantage over prior art eating devices by creating an enhanced amount of eating surface area in combination with a space-conserving footprint. Some of the embodiments of the present invention are made from separable modular units, while it is contemplated for other embodiments to be made as molded units having a one-piece construction. Although it is generally intended for both the modular and molded embodiments to be reusable, it is also considered within the scope of the present invention for any embodiment to be disposable and/or recycled after only one or a small number of uses. The modular and molded embodiments of the present invention have a base member in the form of a plate-like or tray-like structure that provides at least one lower eating surface, at least one eating surface in an elevated position relative to the base member, and one or more support members upwardly depending from the base member or a second pillar-like or platform-like support member in an inferior position beneath it, with each elevated eating surface being attached to one or more support members. The elevated eating surfaces used in a single embodiment can vary in shape and size, and be plate-like, tray-like, platform-like, multi-tiered, or bowl-like. Also, the support members in each embodiment can differ in height, be identical or varied in configuration, narrow in construction and pillar-like, broadly constructed and platform-like, or contoured having 3-D relief and being in the form of animals or other three-dimensional objects relating to a decorative theme. Liquid-resistant or grease-resistant liners/inserts can be optionally used with the elevated eating surfaces to vertically extend their food-holding capacity. It is also contemplated for a beverage or food container, including but not limited to bowls or cups for soup, dips, sauces, as well as containers for food items eaten with ones fingers such as small pieces of fruit and cut vegetables, shrimp, cheese cubes, breadsticks, or french fries, to be optionally supported in a secure upright orientation by the plate-like base member, one of the support members, or both. Applications may include, but are not limited to, use to provide an enhanced amount of eating surface area where table space is limited and does not allow the use of separate salad and dessert plates during a meal, use at buffets for the separation and transport of more food items during each trip to a buffet table without enlarging the perimeter of the plate-like or tray-like base member people would have to carry, general use in providing a dining plate or tray that maintains separate compartments for foods without having to enlarge the perimeter of the base member to accomplish such food separation, use as a fun way to present food to children to encourage them to eat new foods while they work their way up to a dessert food item, and further as a learning tool for children when they are taught how to assemble the elevated eating surfaces upon the plate-like or tray-like base member, and when numerical markings on the eating surfaces are used by the children to earn points or select a hidden compartment to find a reward or prize.
Serving dishes having multiple-levels are known for use in buffets to artistically display arrays of food items from which guests can make their food selections. Multi-tiered structures used in homes and public facilities, for attractively displaying desserts or hors d""oeuvres, generally have a support system rigidly connecting together two or three plates of similar or upwardly decreasing size in a fixed position one above the other. The support systems are often centrally located with a support rod being attached to a decorative upper handle, particularly where upper plates are diminished in size relative to the lower plates, although some can comprise an array of decorative perimeter supports to place the plates in a spaced-apart configuration from one another. Family members and guests as a group are able to select food items one at a time from the different levels of these tiered structures for immediate consumption or transfer onto individual plates for later consumption. Compartmentalized single-level plates, made from ceramic, paper, and plastic, are also known which separate foods to minimize the mixing of food flavors and in addition so that the excess liquid from less solid foods does not contact and saturate adjacent dry foods, such as pieces of bread or other baked items, making them less desirable to eat. Plates are also known which have surface indentations of differing depths that are configured for the placement of a container for a beverage or soup to help maintain the container in an upright position during transport and eating. However, it is not known to have multiple-level eating devices for individual use that are fun to use and have all of the advantages disclosed herein by the different embodiments of the present invention.
It is the primary object of this invention to provide multiple-level dining plates and trays for individual use in the transport and eating of food that maintain a space-conserving footprint while offering an enhanced amount of food placement surface area. It is a further object of this invention to provide multiple-level individual dining plates and trays that are designed for easy construction and cost-effective use. It is also an object of this invention to provide multiple-level dining plates and trays for individual use that are suitable for disposal and/or recycling after a single use or a small number of uses, or in the alternative can be manufactured so as to be easily cleaned for repeated reuse. A further object of this invention is to provide multiple-level individual dining plates and trays that are configured for compact storage when not in use. It is also an object of this invention to provide multiple-level individual dining plates and trays that are fun to use by both adults and children and can be used to teach children to eat new foods by having them earn a dessert through the accumulation of points or otherwise working their way up to a dessert or other reward. A further object of this invention is to provide multiple-level dining plates and trays for individual use which are compartmentalized to prevent the mixing of foods in such instances where mixing would be undesirable, to include any combination of compartmentalized base members, compartmentalized support members, and compartmentalized elevated eating surfaces. It is also an object of this invention to provide multiple-level individual dining plates and trays which have one or more one secret compartments and may also have quick release means to attach utensils, toys, or other objects such as a napkin to its upper surface for safekeeping during transport. It is also a further object of this invention to provide multiple-level individual dining plates and trays with optional means for bracing the base member when required to finish additional support and balance to food-laden elevated eating surfaces. A further object of this invention is to provide multiple-level individual dining plates and trays which are designed with surfaces areas suitable for the attachment of decorative and advertisement indicia.
As described herein, properly manufactured, assembled and used, the present invention would provide a fun-to-use, versatile eating surface that would offer different levels upon which food could be served to an individual. Elevated food eating surfaces attached to and/or positioned above a plate-like or tray-like base member would increase the surface area available for food placement without at the same time increasing the amount of table space required by the individual to support the food until it is consumed. Also, the upper food holding surfaces could be used to separate foods from one another when doing so would improve its presentation, as well as enjoyment by the individual. The upper food holding surfaces, as well as the plate-like and tray-like base members, could be compartmentalized for further food separation purposes. The present invention could be made as an easily reusable modular device with separable components that allow easy cleaning and efficient storage, or as a convenient-to-use reusable one-piece molded device, although it is also considered to be within the scope of the present invention to have both molded and modular embodiments made from less expensive materials to allow disposal and/or recycling of the present invention after a single use or a small number of uses.
Although a variety of materials, such as but not limited to glass, plastic, ceramics, metal, and wood, can be used for manufacture of the present invention, at least for buffet use when a lightweight and easy-to-carry device is desired, the present invention would preferably be made from plastic. The preferred embodiments of the present invention can comprise a selection of components having various sizes, colors, and perimeter configurations. All embodiments with two or more elevated eating surfaces can also have pillar-like or platform-like support members placing elevated eating surfaces at a uniform height or at differing heights. When elevated eating surfaces are used and positioned at different heights relative to one another, the present invention can be used to teach children to eat new foods by making them work their way up to a reward or dessert located on the eating surface having the highest elevated position. The multiple levels also make the present invention toy-like and therefore useful as a learning tool that captures the interest of children, particularly when surface decoration would include 3-D relief in the form of a person, animal, or character familiar to the child. Batteries or other type of renewable power supply could be positioned within one of the pillars or platforms to further enhance the teaching value of the present invention by turning it into a talking character that presented safety-related or other important messages to children. All surface areas in each of the embodiments can be decorated with markings relating to many diverse topics, such as but not limited to a movie promotion, business logo, advertising campaign, or holiday theme, and it is contemplated that such decoration could be contoured to provide 3-D relief. Also, it is contemplated for the modular and molded embodiments to optionally contain quick-release fasteners configured for the attachment of utensils, a napkin, or toy, as well as clip-on tabs which brace the base member in an outrigger type of function. Also, when molded or clip-on tabs support pillars or platforms that otherwise would have been positioned on the base member""s top surface, they increase the food-holding capacity of the base member. Further, preferred embodiments of the present invention can optionally comprise one or more liquid-resistant or grease-resistant compartment liners and/or inserts adapted for holding a beverage, sauce, or soup, as well as soft foods such as applesauce, cottage cheese, or pudding, and foods intended for eating with one""s fingers such as small pieces of fruit and cut vegetables, shrimp, cheese cubes, breadsticks, or french fries. The pillars or platforms can also comprise one or more hidden compartments for the retention of a condiment, toy, prize, reward, or other surprise.
The description herein provides preferred embodiments of the present invention but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the multiple-level eating surface invention. For example, variations in the number of support members and elevated eating surfaces used with each base member; the number and placement of hidden compartments used; the height and configuration of the support members used; the angle at which the elevated eating surfaces are positioned relative to the base member; the perimeter configuration of the base member; the number, shape, and size of the food retaining indentations formed into the base member; the number of quick-release fasteners optionally used to attach utensils and toy-like objects to the base member; the presence of a compartment, indentation, ridge, or designated site for secure upright positioning of a container for beverage or soup; the number of clip-on tabs used; and the configuration of a pattern of interlocking members optionally used to connect the elevated eating surfaces, the support members, and the base member in modular embodiments, other than those shown and described herein, may be incorporated into the present invention. Thus the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than being limited to the examples given.